of the apostle's address is a masterly display of eloquence, in which every thing that is graceful and becoming is observed in all that Paul delivered, from beginning to end.

HOLY SCRIPTURE.

"My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation, at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

"Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a pharisee. "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our Fathers;

"Unto which promise, our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews." (Acts xxvi. 4—7.)

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

I Do not think it necessary to go over the several parts, either of the history of Paul's conversion, or the apostle's views of that conversion; when, by recourse to the Scriptures, the reader will find the whole so very amply set forth. What I would more immediately beg to direct the attention to regard, in both, is, how very blessedly the Holy Ghost overruled all, and every part, to the divine glory; as decidedly showing in Paul's instance, the Almighty power of sovereign grace. Paul, thought nothing less than about himself, or about his defence. He wanted to hold up Christ, in his full, and finished salvation. As for himself, he desired to be kept in the back-ground of the piece. It was not, in Paul's view, worth a moment's consideration, what the whole party then before him thought of Paul; or of his having offended the Jews, in preaching Christ. But the great object he had in view, was, that in speaking of the abundant

grace shewn to him, the Lord, as he said to Timothy, "might in him shew forth all long suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Christ, also, to everlasting life.”

Under this impression, the apostle began, first to shew his natural and original hatred to Christ, and his gospel; and from thence to prove, that being by nature and trainment, so deeply entrenched in his heart, against those divine truths which he now so cordially received and lived upon, nothing could be more decisive, in proof of what he asserted, that the change was wrought upon him, by the manifestation, made to him from heaven, of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And Paul appealed for the matter of fact respecting his former state and manner of life, to the whole nation of the Jews; (and probably some of them were now present;) that they not only knew him to be a staunch Jew, but living after the most straitest sect of that religion a pharisee. The question therefore naturally arose at such a representation, from whence then this wonderful change? The apostle answered: By a call from heaven. And how then, could he, or any man like him, so called, " be disobedient to the heavenly vision?"

Before I go farther, I would pause, and beg the reader to step aside for a moment, from the court of Agrippa, in testimony to the defence of the apostle; and "commune with his own heart, and search out his spirit." The miraculous manner which the Lord was pleased to make use of, in the conversion of the apostle Paul, is not to be brought forward in proof, as if the Lord called none from sin to salvation, but in the same way. This would be to make a wrong statement, and in direct opposition to what is delivered on the subject of regeneration in the word of God. Various are the ways, and workings, as recorded in holy Scripture, concerning the opera

terrors.

tions of grace, of our wonderful-working God. Some are called by solemu dispensations, from darkness to light; and others the Lord speaks of having drawn, as if by the cords of a man, with bands of love." (Hosea xi. 4.) The jailor at Philippi appears to have been convulsed in soul, as well as terrified in body, by the earthquake, before his conversion. Whereas, in the same chapter, we read of a certain woman, named Lydia, a seller of purple, who appears to have passed from death to life without those All that is said on this subject is, "whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." (Acts xvi. 13-34.) The conclusion therefore, which is to be made on scriptural grounds, concerning this vast and most important concern is this, that the grace itself of conversion is, and must be, shewn to every child of God, or there can be no entrance into the kingdom of heaven. But the method by which the mighty work is wrought, and which is wholly from God, may be accomplished according to his sovereign will and pleasure, by different instruments.

But what I particularly request also, every truly regenerated child of God, to observe with me, on this history of Paul, is this; that in every instance, where the saving work is wrought in the soul, like him, there will be, yea, there must be, a continual looking back, to admire and adore the distinguishing grace and love of God, in the act itself. Paul seemed to be at a loss for expressions to speak of it, as often as the marvellous event which he met with in the road to Damascus crossed his mind. "The grace of our Lord (said he) was exceeding abundant, with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus." (1 Tim. i. 14.) And surely Paul's history is not singular. Every son and daughter of Adam, when recovered by the Lord from the fallen, ruined, and sunken state of

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nature's apostacy from God, will often look back, and ponder over the marvellous history of his own life. And this is what the Lord commanded the church, by the prophet, to do. "Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord look unto the rock, whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit, whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him." (Isa. li. 1, 2.) Observe, in this Scripture, the Lord not only commands the church to consider the wretched state of nature from whence the Lord calls his people, as from a stony, hard, impenetrable rock, which none but God can soften ; and the hole of a pit, which is dark, and as a cistern, without water; but also the distinguishing nature of that grace, like that of Abraham; who, when there were numbers of idolaters like himself, all around him, yet to him alone the special grace was manifested. "Look (saith the Lord) to Abraham your father: " was there ever one more unpromising than he, as a father? For what could he have given birth to but idolatrous children, like himself, had I not called him? And Sarah, also, your mother, who was barren: what hope could there have been of any children, from a steril state, like hers? Doth the reader enter into the secret things of this blessed Scripture of our most gracious God? Then will he, I am sure, from the same divine teaching, learn also the blessedness of being enabled to do as the Lord hath said; look back, and review again and again, yea, continually, the wonderful mercy shewn to himself, as well as Paul; when in the several properties of grace, his soul is melted in the discovery. When I think, when, and where, and how, I stood, in the long days of my unregeneracy; sinning with an high hand, regardless and obdurate; deserving nothing

but wrath, while the Lord came forth in love; and meriting hell, when Jesus came to allure me to heaven. What grace was here!

Reader, can you find somewhat similar in your own history? are you called by sovereign grace, to the knowledge of the Lord? And do you recollect with whom you lived, and what where the circumstances of your family, in this season? The Lord said, by his servant the prophet, "I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion." (Jer. iii. 14.) And hath the Lord done so by you? or are you now living among such as know not the Lord? Have you any brothers, or sisters; a father, or mother, in an unawakened state of nature? Are you a servant, or an apprentice, in a graceless family; and are you the one, the only one, taught by grace to call upon the Lord? What saith the reader to himself, on these questions? Oh! who is there that but knows this, feels this, and lives daily in the spiritual apprehension of this, but will fall down before God; and as he looks back, and reviews the wonderful way the Lord hath brought him, but will be constrained to cry out with the church: "Who remembered us in our low estate; for his mercy endureth for ever!” (Psa. cxxxvi. 23.)

I detain the reader one moment longer, in this passage in Paul's defence, just to observe the masterly manner in which the apostle used his argument to repel the accusation of the Jews. "And now I stand (said Paul) and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers. Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come: for which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Was there ever an act of greater cruelty, injustice, and oppression, than for the Jews to attempt the death of Paul, in that he had asserted, that this very hope which they